When it comes to its restaurants, Boca lives up to its first name. This is a town that loves to eat. It may not be home to the most adventurous palates, but selective they are – they want substantial, consistently well prepared food that is efficiently served.

So it’s a good sign when an independently owned eatery that’s tucked amid chain restaurants is abuzz by early evening. Such was the scene on a recent Friday night at Mario’s Osteria, where an older, well-heeled crowd filled the place by 7 p.m.

And why not? Mario’s is all the things Boca loves: a spacious, pizzazzy space serving good food in bountiful portions. This Italian-inspired spot is the reincarnation of Mario’s of Boca, which closed in 2009 after 20-something years of service. The revived and transplanted restaurant now occupies the former McCormick and Schmick’s space on Glades Road.

Opened last December, this Mario’s has a menu to match its space: big. It tempts with create-your-own and signature pizzas (from $12 to $16.25), small starters and larger appetizers, good selection of salads and panini, delicious pastas, hearty meat dishes, fresh fish and other entrees.

It’s an inclusive menu, one that gives vegetarians a decent range of options – from Roman-style artichokes to mixed fungi pizza to decadent veggie-topped pastas – and keeps in mind those who eat gluten-free (gluten-free pasta, as well as organic and whole wheat pasta are available).

We took the advice of our quite chatty server and started our meal with an order of eggplant pancakes ($12), insanely good and crispy discs of eggplant stacked with feta, asiago, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and topped with a “syrup” of sweet San Marzano tomatoes. It’s no wonder why this has been a signature dish at Mario’s since 1985.

It was made all the better by the fact that our server neatly divided the dish in three for our party to share. We savored it between bites of Mario’s hot, garlicky rolls.

Another dose of decadence arrived in the form of “forever braised” beef short ribs ($23) served atop creamy Parmesan mashed potatoes and alongside sautéed broccoli rabe. These soulful, fork-tender ribs are served in other dishes here, such as the rigatoni and fresh ricotta ($19), and the short rib sliders ($14) with gorgonzola cheese sauce and onions cooked two ways.

Also luscious: the lasagna al forno ($17), a melt of cheeses and fresh pasta layered with a veal Bolognese sauce and a touch of mascarpone.

Just okay: the shrimp scampi ($24) our server raved about didn’t live up to the acclaim. The jumbo shrimp were overcooked and the white wine lemon sauce could have been more lemony.

There are many reasons to return to Mario’s, not the least of which is its variety of menu options, its attentive service and its delicious food.

And here’s one more reason: Mario’s offers a terrific carry-out service, even designating coveted parking spaces for takeout customers. It works hard to please its customers, this place. Then again, it has to. It’s Boca.

◊